Passion and Propriety (Hearts of Honour Book 1) (35 page)

His caresses were quite bold, however, his hands roaming freely up and down her sides and over her hips. When he pressed his lower body against hers, she was left with no doubt as to his opinion of her provocative statement . . . or his ability to perform when required. Hannah’s arms wrapped around her husband seemingly of their own accord. Her fingers tangled in his hair, and she strained against him, desperate to ease the ache that had resurfaced at his very welcome assault. Forgetting all about their surrounds, Hannah whimpered in dismay when he slowed the frantic nature of their kisses.

“Shh . . .” he murmured against her mouth, mollifying her with soft caresses to her lips and along the line of her jaw. When she discerned he was intent on reaching the hallowed ground beneath her ear, she gave herself up to his attentions. A shudder ran through her when he kissed the sensitive skin, his moan of pleasure vibrating against her neck. Unsteady on her feet, she clutched helplessly at his arms when he eventually drew away.

William looked as reluctant as Hannah felt about returning to sanity, his eyes more black than brown and his breath coming in harsh pants.

“Does this mean you believe me when I say I’m recovered?” Her query was bold, but she had no intention of being left in a painful state of limbo.

“I’m ready whenever you are,” he said in a husky voice she found quite affecting. “Though I fear we shall have to wait until tonight—unless we intend scandalising the servants.”

Hannah contemplated how
much damage would be done to their reputations if they were to make straight for her room and remain there for the rest of the day. “Tonight, then.” She sighed, wondering how they were supposed to last an entire day.

Chapter 28

Wonderful

William paced, waiting for the clock to strike the half hour. He’d never known minutes to pass so slowly. In fact, the hours since his encounter with Hannah in the garden until they were finally able to retire for the night were some of the longest in his life. They had been sweet in their torment, he admitted, a smile curving his lips. Every glance, every seemingly accidental touch had increased his desire until anticipation for what was to come throbbed in his veins. Not
that his wife had behaved in a manner that could be deemed unacceptable. To the casual observer, they’d both maintained an exemplary degree of propriety. Merely knowing what they planned to do when night fell had increased the tension between them unbearably.

William still couldn’t believe his good fortune in finding such a wife. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected to be so blessed.

Should he tell her that he loved her?

Coming out and saying the words seemed fraught with danger. He feared if she understood the thrall in which he was held, she might use that knowledge to sway him into giving her the one thing he dared not . . . a child. His heart ached knowing he couldn’t give her the babe she craved, but he refused to allow himself the indulgence of picturing her with his child in her arms. Such an image could only precede her tragic departure, and he shied away from the possibility at all costs.

The clock chimed, followed in quick succession by his knock at her door and Hannah’s calmly spoken, “Enter.”

Once again she was waiting for him, this time dressed in a gown somewhat more chaste than either of the two delectable creations she’d chosen before. The fact did not discourage him, for he now knew what lay beneath the soft, billowy fabric . . . and what was required of him.

The morning spent studying his father’s no doubt illegal collection of erotic books had been less informative than he would have preferred. His initial response to the graphic illustrations he’d discovered in one of the tomes was shocked disbelief. The explanations were in some form of oriental script, but the explicit images left little to the imagination, depicting a seemingly endless variety of sexual positions and techniques. In contrast, the titillating stories he’d found written in English were cloaked in so much euphemism and allegory they’d left him none the wiser . . . and close to panic. Until he’d stopped to consider his purpose.

He wanted to bring pleasure to his wife.

Reminded of his goal, he’d focused his attention on gleaning as much as he could about the delicate nature of female arousal and satisfaction. Hannah was a lady, and he doubted her tender, if practical, sensibilities would appreciate the more callisthenic possibilities. But she was also a woman unafraid of her passionate nature, for which he would be forever grateful.

After his morning’s study, William was reasonably confident he now possessed the knowledge to ensure their next bout of lovemaking was as satisfying for his wife as he knew it would be for him. At least he hoped that was the case. She’d assured him she didn’t need an extended recovery time and wasn’t worried about his hurting her. But he’d make sure to be both gentle and persistent in his endeavours. From what he’d read, he suspected patience was key, as was showing deliberate and prolonged attention to certain aspects of her anatomy . . . aspects with which he was already well and truly enamoured.

“Good evening, my lord,” Hannah said, teasing him with a curtsy.

“My lady.” William offered his most formal bow, made incongruous by the fact he was dressed in his nightshirt.

The distance between them was unacceptable, and William rid them of it immediately. He opened his arms, and Hannah came willingly into his embrace, her head fitting perfectly beneath his chin. With her warm and supple body in his arms, a part of him could have stayed that way all night, just hugging her. However, a very specific part of his anatomy had different ideas and was intent on making its presence known.

“Goodness.” Hannah pulled back a fraction. “That happens rather quickly. Does it hurt?”

William laughed. “Not in the way you mean, although ignoring it for extended periods of time can be a trial.”

“I imagine it could be.” Leaning back, she looked up into his eyes, and her voice dropped to a husky whisper. “It must be a relief not having to ignore your body’s needs any longer.”

“You have no idea,” he murmured before capturing her soft, pink lips. They were such a delight, as was the rest of her. He’d not expected to so thoroughly enjoy the act of kissing. If that was all they were permitted—and if the unrequited passion that such activity provoked did not possess the capacity to send him completely insane—he would have been content to kiss his wife for hour after endless hour. But he was allowed to do more, much more, and more importantly, she was eager for him to do so.

In demonstration of her willingness, Hannah ran her hands over his chest and shoulders, even the scarred one to which she seemed quite partial. He shivered at her touch, his smile undeniably smug when she smoothed her hands up his taut belly.

His wife desired him, and it was the best feeling in the world . . . bar one.

William’s determination for her to experience the pleasure with him was greater than anything he’d ever known. Not even winning on the battlefield had consumed him with quite such intensity, though he imagined his wife might not be flattered by the comparison. When she leaned in close and let her lips brush against his skin, continuing to press her hips firmly and deliberately forward, his thoughts spun into disarray. Realising he was in danger of forgetting his goal of seeing her fully satisfied before the night was out, he refocused his attention. While he supposed he could accomplish the task he’d set himself
after
taking his own pleasure, he was determined to show he could be chivalrous in every area of their lives.

His initial objective was to convince her to trust him even more than she had the night before, the first step in that process motivating his request. After taking a moment to nuzzle her neck—something she seemed to appreciate as much as he did—he whispered against her ear. “I know it’s unorthodox, but I’d like to divest you of your nightgown, if you wouldn’t mind?”

Hannah froze, much as he had expected her to. Then she pulled back to meet his gaze.

“It did get in the way last time,” she said, but when he moved to unlace her bodice, she stilled his hand with her own. “On one condition.” She licked her lips, leaving a glistening trail of moisture coating her plump, lower lip.

“Anything,” he said hoarsely.

“That you remove your clothing also.”

William was more than willing to be naked with his wife, but not above a smidgen of teasing himself.

“But you’ve already seen me without my clothes. Numerous times, I might add.”

“Not like this.”

Hannah eyes darkened, and he stifled his smirk of satisfaction.

“Very well.” He pulled his nightshirt over his head then reached for the ties on his undergarments.

“Wait.” She took a step backwards with her hand outstretched.

Her sudden apprehension was palpable, and he deemed the time for games was over.

“Shall I douse the extra lights first?” he asked, and she nodded jerkily.

As soon as he’d done so, he collected her from where she remained standing in the middle of the room and led her to the bed. The covers were pulled down, and he debated his next move. He could wait until the sheets were drawn over them to completely undress, but he very much wanted to see her in the light if she would allow it. As if sensing his indecision, Hannah touched his shoulder.

“I’m all right now,” she said. “It was just a momentary panic. You saw most of me last night anyway, and I’d like to see all of you, so . . .”

Slowly and deliberately, she raised her hands to undo the tie that held her bodice closed. Once it was loosened, she lifted a trembling hand to slide the sleeves from her shoulders.

“Let me,” he half-pleaded, half-ordered, relieved when she complied. “Your skin is so soft,” he whispered as his large and much darker hands smoothed the fabric over her shoulders, revealing more and more of her cream-coloured flesh.

The swell of her breasts kept the gown from falling, but before he could dislodge it, Hannah took a deep breath. With a deliberate lift of her shoulders, she let the gown fall all the way to the floor. Standing completely naked before him, she dropped her gaze, her body shivering, though he doubted it was from the cold. He knew he should reassure her immediately, but he was rendered both speechless and immobile by the stunning sight before him.

William was aware his wife’s curves were well rounded, her breasts full, and her hips those of a woman not a girl. He’d felt her in his arms the night before and caught glimpses beneath the shadowed canopy of their bed. But the sight of her standing before him in the candlelight was breathtaking. Her skin was smooth and pale, her nipples a dusky rose that caused his palms to itch with a desire to touch and his mouth to salivate with a hunger to taste. The indent of her waist appeared made for his hands to caress, the shadow of her navel for his delectation. Even the curve of her belly seemed designed to emphasise her femininity.

His gaze travelled lower until he reached the soft curls at the juncture of her thighs. A few shades darker than her hair, they covered what he knew to be an amazing treasure, and he could do naught but marvel that she was his.

“You are gorgeous,” he whispered, reaching to run his hand down the length of her arm. “Feel what you do to me.” He captured her fingers and placed them over his thundering heart. It was hardly the most visible effect she had upon him, but he didn’t want to appear crass by drawing her attention to the more obvious change in his physiology.

Hannah was not so easily offended, and her gaze lowered to the rather prominent evidence of his arousal.

“That, too,” he acknowledged with a shrug.

His belly tensed when her hands traced the planes and ridges of muscle down his torso. She followed the line of dark hair to where it disappeared in the waistband of his undergarments. With trembling fingers she undid the drawstring that held them in place before gently pushing the material past his hips.

Unsurprisingly, they got stuck. Not waiting to see what she would do about the problem, he tucked his thumbs under the soft fabric and pushed his undergarments the rest of the way before kicking them off with his feet. When he straightened, her mouth was agape, and it took all of William’s resolve not to cover himself.

“Well . . .” Her gaze flickered between his highly aroused member and his worried expression. “That’s an impressive change in dimension. If I’d had any idea it could grow so large, I would have been far less confident about our achieving a successful outcome.”

“And you wonder why I was worried about your well-being.”

“Quite.” Hannah nodded before taking a deep breath. He imagined it was to calm herself, but the rise and fall of her breasts had the opposite effect on him. Before he knew his intention, he drew her into his embrace, the feel of her naked body moulded to his utterly sublime.

“It will be all right. We
were
successful, and you said it wasn’t too painful . . . that it even became quite pleasant. Don’t succumb to fear now.”

“I won’t,” she murmured against his chest. “Especially not with you holding me so close. I never expected the feel of our bodies touching would be so . . . so . . .”

“Wonderful?” he supplied, and she sighed, her breath teasing his skin.

“Most wonderful.” She wriggled in his embrace, the movement causing her breasts and belly to rub against him.